CLOSED. A boarding house is served with a closure order by the Iloilo City government for lack of business permit on Feb. 23. Mayor Jerry Treñas, in a memorandum on Tuesday (Feb. 27, 2024), reminded barangay officials to submit a list of boarding houses, whether or not they have permits from the city hall for verification by the Office of the Building Official and the Boarding House Commission. (Photo courtesy of Iloilo Boarding House Commission FB page)
ILOILO CITY – The city government here has intensified its crackdown on boarding houses without permits to ensure they comply with building regulations and ensure the safety of tenants.
Mayor Jerry Treñas, in a memorandum on Tuesday, reminded barangay officials to submit a list of boarding houses, whether or not they have permits from the city hall for verification by the Office of the Building Official (OBO) and the Boarding House Commission (BHC).
To date, 52 boarding houses have been ordered closed due to a lack of permits in the Mandurriao, La Paz, and Jaro districts.
“I just signed 12 more closure orders for boarding houses without business permits,” Treñas said.
OBO head Mavi Gustilo, during their meeting Monday afternoon, reported that they have assessed and evaluated the status and conditions of 184 structures in three barangays in La Paz district together with the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) since last week.
During the inspection, they looked for the building, occupancy, and business permits and even inquired if they were registered with the BHC.
“Our assessment is to ensure safety and if they comply with the minimum requirements of the National Building Code,” Gustilo said in an interview.
The inspection in Barangays San Nicolas (Old Railway), Magdalo, and part of Burgos covered 70 residences and the rest are boarding houses and apartments; almost one-half are not on the list of the BHC, and only seven have occupancy permits.
Some 31 residential turned-boarding houses are also for immediate closure, while 79 need to comply with the requirements of the building office.
Treñas said upon serving the closure order, boarding houses have 10 days to comply with their requirements.
He added that they also consider providing financial assistance to help the displaced tenants.
“We will come up with the amount as soon as we are ready, but we are already starting to talk about it together with CSWDO (City Social Welfare and Development Office). Anyway, 10 days is really to give the application time to comply with requirements,” Treñas said.
The BHC registered 2,312 boarding houses in the city in 2022 and 2,713 in 2023.
The commission also listed 16,262 occupants in 2023.
Two persons died after a fire razed a boarding house in La Paz district in Barangay San Nicolas on Feb. 18. (PNA)
